Bi the Curb

Chapter 3: Are

Jordan's fingers tapped away on his keyboard slower than usual. Their eyes were fixed on the glaring screen as they pieced together their history assignment. The scent of old coffee grinds and the hum of Tim Hortons provided a sense of comfort until Steven breezed in.

"Sorry I'm late," he said, collapsing onto the bench seat across from Jordan. "Ally called me, finally, and guess what? She's throwing a party this weekend and we're invited."

Jordan's hands froze above the keyboard at the mention of Ally. They looked up to face Steven, noticing the eager spark in his brown eyes. "I don't know about that," Jordan hesitated, thinking about how Ally had treated Rodney over the summer. "I Know the two of you are close, but Rodney is like one of my best friends. It would be weird for me to go wouldn't it?"

Steven's brow furrowed in confusion. "Why would it be weird? I know Ally, if she ghosted him then she has a good reason for it."

"Has she told you her reason?" Jordan probed, searching Steven's face for an answer.

"Um, not exactly," Steven admitted, scratching his head. "But I'm sure she has one. She is an amazingly kind person, she doesn't just bail on people."

Jordan felt a knot tying itself tightly in their stomach. "Do you really think Rodney is the one that caused all of this? I mean you've seen him recently, he is taking this hard. I just don't see how he could be in the wrong on this one,"

Steven's cheeks reddened slightly, his frustration taking over for a moment. "Look, I'm Ally's friend—I hardly know Rodney. And I think he's keeping things from us. We don't have the full story."

"Nobody tells their friends everything," Jordan conceded, their tone firm. "But I just don't feel right about going to this party. Especially because we don't know why Ally did what she did."

"Come on, we're dating, Jordan. You have to come with me to the party, it is what a good partner would do," Steven pressed, leaning closer.

Jordan drew back, hurt flashing across their brown eyes. "That's right we are, so you should respect my choices. Don't use the fact we're dating to try and get something you want like that."

Realization dawned on Steven's face and he leaned back in his chair. "You're right. I'm sorry," he murmured, clearly disappointed. "You can do whatever you want. I shouldn't have said that."

"Thanks," Jordan said quietly, flashing a small sideways smile. A new type of uncomfortable silence spread between them, one that caused a twinge of concern within Jordan. For the first time ever they didn't feel the usual joy they had with Steven next to them.

---

Rodney's gaze swept over the school library, he took a deep breath preparing for himself for what he had to do. The library was eerily quiet and he worried about what might happen if they made a scene. Olive was sitting in a study booth, her long blonde hair spilling over the backrest of a chair as she read through her textbook.

"Hey, Olive," Rodney's voice cracked and he could feel the sweat beginning to form on his forehead. She looked up, her eyes narrowing in on his unease.

"Rodney," she greeted, a concerned look on her face, "Is everything ok? You look like you might be getting sick."

He smiled weakly, taking a seat in the torn green fabric chair beside her. "No, I'm not sick, but..." He paused, searching for the right words. "About um, you know that thing we did..."

"Oh, are you ready now for a date?" Olive's voice turned to a low playful tone, her eyebrow arching.

"Actually, that's just it." Rodney swallowed the lump forming in his throat. "I... I'm not ready for, you know, the kind of date you're talking about."